1. Field of the Invention
The inhibition of crop growth by weeds and other vegetation which consume valuable acreage or soil nutrients is a recurring problem in agriculture. To combat this problem, an extensive variety of chemicals and chemical formulations have been produced for application as herbicides. Many types of herbicides are disclosed in the literature and a large number are in commercial use.
Prominent among the herbicides are the thiolcarbamates, several closely related analogs of which are well established in commercial use. The present invention resides in the discovery of a novel class of thiolcarbamates, i.e., certain S-benzyl thiolcarbamates, which display unusually strong effectiveness in controlling weeds without harming the crop itself.
2. Description of the Prior Art
S-Benzyl thiolcarbamates are known as herbicidal agents in general. References disclosing such compounds include U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,679,726 (Kudamatsu et al., July 25, 1972), 3,144,475 (Harman et al., Aug. 11, 1964), 3,682,616 (Kimura et al., Aug. 8, 1972), 3,781,440 (Marco et al., Dec. 25, 1973), 3,992,185 (D'Amico, Nov. 16, 1976), 4,153,444 (Jikihara et al., May 8, 1979), 3,742,005 (Tilles, June 26, 1973), 3,582,314 (Konnai et al., June 1, 1971), and 3,930,838 (Pellegrini et al., Jan. 6, 1976), Ger. Offen. 2,138,017 (Aya et al., Feb. 3, 1972).